Bashi-Bazouks

The Bashi-Bazouks were irregular soldiers of the Ottoman Empire, drawn from the Turks, Circassians, Arabs, and Albanians in the empire. Their name means "damaged head" in Turkish, referring to their savagery and their expectation of plunder after battle. Bashi-bazouks were mostly used as garrison troops or as reconnaissance troops, as they were essentially undisciplined bandits with uncertain tempers.